Does Allen, Tx, Richardson, TX have a downtown section or neighborhood (Dallas: apartments, city hall)

[Jagonga]

I would like to know if Allen, TX and Richardson, TX have downtown sections.

I looked up streets for post offices, librarys, starbucks, courthouses, figuring they would most likely be on downtown streets, but everything is so rural. I didn't see any bus stops or bus stop booths at all. I would be depending on public transportation to get around. I wonder if these 2 towns are good for a poor single person to get around without a car?

[BigDGeek]

Originally Posted by Jagonga

I would like to know if Allen, TX and Richardson, TX have downtown sections.

I looked up streets for post offices, librarys, starbucks, courthouses, figuring they would most likely be on downtown streets, but everything is so rural. I didn't see any bus stops or bus stop booths at all. I would be depending on public transportation to get around. I wonder if these 2 towns are good for a poor single person to get around without a car?

Cross Allen off your list right now. No public transportation.

Richardson doesn't really have a downtown to speak of, unless you look at the area around Main Street between 75 and Greenville. It's very small. There are a few DART rail stops in Richardson east of 75, and plenty of DART bus stops. Richardson is not rural, it's suburban.

[CMC_TX]

Allen or anywhere North of Allen would be a terrible idea for a poor, single person without a car. The reason being, DART doesn't service Allen or North of Allen, so there is no public transportation.

Now, the library, post office, police station & city hall are all on Main St. (McDermott) in Allen, but that's it. I wouldn't call it a "rural" town. It's a relatively affluent suburb of Dallas surrounded by other suburban communities.

Your best bet for public transportation is going to be a location serviced by DART.

[MckinneyOwnr]

Allen is not rural, by any means. At this point, even Prosper can be thought of as suburban and not rural.

OP, public transportation is not big in the DFW area, not even in the downtown area, really. Sure, there's bus schedules and all that by compared to other cities, our public transportation leaves a lot to be desired. The routes are limited and the number of buses are very low compared to cities like New York or Chicago.

As far as a downtown area goes, I don't believe Richardson really has one, but for Allen I'd say the Watters Creek area is their main hub for dining, entertainment, shopping, etc.

[Debsi]

Richardson's downtown is supposedly the strip of Beltline (called Main St.) between 75 and Greenville. There are some cute old buildings tenanted by a few bars, restaurants, and shops. So no, it's not what anybody would call a downtown.

I do know several people who live in Richardson and do not own cars. They use the bus and the train, to which we are well-connected in this area. All of them seem content enough, but I wouldn't want to do it.

[BigDGeek]

Originally Posted by Debsi

Richardson's downtown is supposedly the strip of Beltline (called Main St.) between 75 and Greenville. There are some cute old buildings tenanted by a few bars, restaurants, and shops. So no, it's not what anybody would call a downtown.

I do know several people who live in Richardson and do not own cars. They use the bus and the train, to which we are well-connected in this area. All of them seem content enough, but I wouldn't want to do it.

Me either. I do know someone in my neighborhood who is car-free, though. She manages just fine, though it does take her a lot longer to get places.

[BStinson]

Well, one doesn't have to be poor to want public transportation. Anyone who ever lived in an area served by quality public transportation, understands and craves that option. We really need to add more public transportation in DFW to accommodate growing traffic.

OP! These are the towns served by DART.

DART operates local and express bus routes serving Addison, Carrollton, Cockrell Hill, Dallas, Farmers Branch, Garland, Glenn Heights, Highland Park, Irving, Richardson, Rowlett, Plano and University Park.

The DART Rail System provides service to Dallas, Carrollton, Farmers Branch, Garland, Irving, Plano and Richardson. Plus, the TRE commuter line links DART customers to DFW International Airport and downtown Fort Worth.

Neither Allen nor Richardson offer real downtowns.

[Adamson865]

Richardson *rural*?

[biafra4life]

Originally Posted by BStinson

Well, one doesn't have to be poor to want public transportation. Anyone who ever lived in an area served by quality public transportation, understands and craves that option. We really need to add more public transportation in DFW to accommodate growing traffic.

OP! These are the towns served by DART.

DART operates local and express bus routes serving Addison, Carrollton, Cockrell Hill, Dallas, Farmers Branch, Garland, Glenn Heights, Highland Park, Irving, Richardson, Rowlett, Plano and University Park.

The DART Rail System provides service to Dallas, Carrollton, Farmers Branch, Garland, Irving, Plano and Richardson. Plus, the TRE commuter line links DART customers to DFW International Airport and downtown Fort Worth.

Neither Allen nor Richardson offer real downtowns.

Yes and No.
Like you and others have said, the DFW area is poorly served by public transportation. This is not NY with its really effective subway system. Even the towns you mentioned may have DART but it's not everywhere in many of those cities. For example:

Garland: It's served by DART but it was either poorly thought out or maybe just under funded. My in laws live in North Garland. The Dart line is on Highway 66. From my inlaws place, that would be a solid 30-40 minute walk just to get to the bus station. Not a great idea when it's either freezing cold in January or boiling hot in August. I could be wrong but I dont think there is any bus service to the Firewheel area of Garland at all. This is the same issue you will see in Richardson. I know folks living out there who are nowhere near a DART bus/train, yet their city is "served" by DART.

Plano: IIRC only East Plano is served by DART. None of the train stops are in West Plano. Also Plano has the same issues that Garland has. There arent enough bus stops in enough places to be accessible anywhere in the city. You have to be living literally right by the bus stop for it to be even remotely feasible.

Your only practical solution is to live in Dallas, most parts are decently served by public transport, especially the apartments.

[netfrog]

Originally Posted by biafra4life

Yes and No.
I could be wrong but I dont think there is any bus service to the Firewheel area of Garland at all. This is the same issue you will see in Richardson. I know folks living out there who are nowhere near a DART bus/train, yet their city is "served" by DART.
.

DART offers Route 513, a shuttle from the Blue Line downtown Garland station to Firewheel Town Center. Other than that, no.

At least in Richardson, DART did a nice job of orienting bus routes to serve the rail. There are lines that run the length of Spring Valley, Belt Line, Arapaho and Campbell (major E-W routes through city) and all interface with Red/Orange Line rail stations. The only part of town not served effectively by DART is the panhandle out to the east along Renner.

Map:
http://www.dart.org/maps/pdfmaps/DAR...adB04nov13.pdf